The Game: Russian Roulette
by Squinky Cullen
Summary: Naruto is asked to play 'the game' but he didnt know it would involve Gaara's life. AU. Warning: character death, OOC-ness, shonen-ai, bits of coarse language, blood, violence.


Warning== contains blood, gore, lots of character deaths and shonen-ai and also maybe OOC  
Pairings == NaruGaa and implied SasoDei/DeiSaso (you judge)  
No characters belong to me  
It is very emotional (apparently, im not an emotional type of person so i dont know, Sasu-Mad-House-96 said it was)

Dont like dont read, this is an AU too

It was raining again. Actually, it hadn't stopped since that day. The day that kept running through my head. I placed my palm on the cold window and sighed heavily. The rain pounded off every building, sending small splashes of water in different directions. Cars zoomed by below, showering the pavements and pedestrians too. It hadn't stopped raining for three days, I could barely tell the difference between night and day. Dark clouds loomed over the city like a foreboding god, angry with everyone. Small droplets slid down the glass and disappeared behind my hand.

The alarm clock shrilled beside me, it was time. I got up from my seat next to the window and pulled on an orange shirt. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the misty mirror. I was average, completely normal. Dull blue eyes, spiky blond hair that jutted out at random angels, tanned skin and whisker-like scars on my cheeks. My finger drifted over one of the smooth scars, I got them saving my beloved.

Flashback

The clock tolled midday as I left my apartment, locking it quickly behind me. I was going to be late for work. I pulled on the black leather jacket and a sleek burgundy helmet was under my arm. I ran down the stairs, two at a time, swiftly dodging a flock of jittering school girls who had gone home for lunch. I ran past my neighbour, murmuring my thanks as the old man held open the door. I couldn't be late again. Kakashi wouldn't be so lenient this time and I highly doubted that Iruka would be there to save me. I pulled out a small key and jumped onto my bike. I loved this bike so much, the colour of a clear night sky with one thin line of deep red that flared out into splatters near the end. Like a line of old blood. I roughly pulled on my helmet and started my lovely bike before speeding down the road. Working in the police force was hard, but hopefully I would be able to make enough money to sustain myself and then start my own business, making motorbikes. I was determined, but one more scolding from Kakashi and I was no longer going to have a job. I tore through the street and passed three police vehicles. Huh? A familiar silver haired man was yelling down a megaphone. Kakashi? Iruka was stood next to him, directing men around them. I circled round and got close.  
It was a robbery. From what I could hear there were hostages and it was a team of four people that were attacking. I squinted and tried to look into the building. A pale guy was holding a small redhead. The sun glinted off a small silver object in the pale guy's hand. A gun. I looked around for the other three. There was an orange haired male guarding the door, an axe in one hand. A woman with dark red hair, or was it pink, was holding a bag, wearing ... short shorts? I tried looking round for the other one but couldn't find him until I scanned over the police who were holding a white haired man to the bonnet of one of the cruisers. A machete had been pulled out of his grip. "WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED AND HAVE ONE OF YOUR ACCOMPLICES, JUST SURRENDER AND NO IMMEDIATE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN," the megaphone boomed. Several men near the door just shook their heads, no one was going to co-operate. I sighed heavily, should I just go, phone in later and give the excuse that I was ill or should I just do it. I gently patted my bike and decided to go with the latter.

I didn't really think of what I was going to do, I just did it. My bike smashed through the window of the store before anyone could stop me. The pale man released his hostage to avoid the bike as I jumped off. Everything was a blur to me. My cheeks stung a little but I pushed the redhead behind me, ignoring his weak protests. "Bastard, what do you think you're doing?" the man with the gun shouted at me. Now I was closer I could make out his features. His eyes were pitch black and his hair was deep blue and stuck up in a weird fashion that resembled a duck's ass. He raised the gun and began ordering me to call off the police. I ignored him and laughed, the police were having trouble with this guy? I shook my head and got up, making my way over to the girl. She stepped back a bit before shouting sternly at me to, back off. The orange haired guy turned and moved from his spot. "JUUGO GET BACK AND GUARD THE ...", but it was too late, Kakashi had seized the moment and the police force already had Juugo and the paler man on the floor. The girl tried running away but I blocked her access to the back door. She dropped the bag and put her hands up. Guess she didn't want any trouble. A small, warm hand settled on my shoulder and I turned around to meet watery turquoise eyes. "Huh?" I murmured.  
"Thank you." he spoke quietly and I grinned.  
"It's alright; I was just doing my job." Kakashi began ushering the hostages out as the prisoners were shoved out the back door. The redhead smiled faintly, he looked about the same age as me, maybe slightly younger. He was wearing a white button up shirt and black trousers. Maybe he was a student? "Naruto!" Iruka shouted over to me.  
"Sorry, I gotta go, maybe we'll meet again," I waved to the mysterious male and ran off.

I got in so much trouble after that. " ... Not only did you endanger lives but you destroyed the shop. It was unnecessary, we had it under control, and you need to think before you act. UZUMAKI ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!" Iruka lectured me in his office. My main worry was my bike, they had recovered her but she was a mess. The paint job was scratched and ... oh, she was a wreck. "My bike?" I asked with a sad voice.  
"Naruto, you need to pay attention, your bike is fine, just go get it fixed," the brunette brushed off that question and got back to lecturing me. I wondered to myself if my cheeks would scar, I had three identical deep cuts on each cheek. Doctors said they would scar, crap.

I ran into the redhead a few days later. It was one of my rare days off and I had decided to go to the cafe near my apartment. They sold the best ramen around and I knew the owner pretty well. Teuchi was like a second father to me. The cafe started out as a stall, Ichiraku's Ramen it was called. Now it's just known as Ichiraku's. I took a seat close to the window and looked out. It was the brightest day I had ever seen, no clouds, no rain ... it was a pleasant change. Then the young man walked in. He seemed to quickly scan over everyone and his eyes slowly settled on me. He quickly walked up to the front counter and gave his order to Ayame before moving over to me. "May I sit here?" he pointed to the seat opposite. I nodded and grinned. He quickly sat down and looked down at his hands. "Hey." I spoke up first, trying to break the awkward tension.  
"Hey, um ... thanks again for saving me before, I mean ..."  
"Don't mention it, as I said it was my job." I scratched the back of my head and laughed.  
"No, I went to the police station yesterday and the pervert with the silver hair ..." He must have meant Kakashi, the description sounded almost perfect. "... Said that you weren't on duty, you saved all of us without command. I also heard about your bike, I'm sorry." he spoke quietly. I smiled, he was a good person, "It doesn't matter, she's getting fixed and how could I leave, Kakashi wasn't helping you, he was bargaining," I chuckled, Kakashi never burst in like I do. He analyzed everything beforehand. It annoyed me but it caused less casualties. "No, I wanted to repay you, so ... I paid for your food," I grinned widely.  
"THANKS!"  
"I'm Gaara by the way," the redhead smiled faintly.

End of Flashback

That's how I met my beloved boyfriend; we had been together for two years. He was the nicest person I'd ever met. He didn't judge me for anything. I was often seen as an outcast, I never really understood why ... I finally found out when Gaara helped me find out about my parents. My father was a business owner and my mother was a waitress. Nothing serious ... until we found out that soon after I was born, things got stressful for them and they both got into drugs. Later, they got into debt and were killed on the street. Iruka took me in and helped me grow up.  
Three days ago, Gaara was kidnapped, by two men. One was blond; resembling a girl and the other was shorter and had blood red hair. I went frantic, searching everywhere, putting up as many posters as possible. Kakashi said he would help me find him, but for now we had received no new information. All the witnesses had said that the two disappeared without a trace, on a bird-like contraption. Every day I walked back to the station to find out that there was nothing new.  
I moved away from the mirror and walked out of our apartment. I no longer had a motorbike, I had been in a few crashes in the past two years and Gaara got really worried, so I sold my bike. I locked the door and slowly walked down the stairs. I didn't feel the need to rush; Iruka said he would phone me if anything new popped up. I began the tiring walk to the station, hoping to whatever God was up there, that there was a new lead. It was getting harder to cope with. Maybe something terrible had happened. No, Gaara was strong, he could protect himself. I opened the door and was almost knocked over by my younger colleague. "Naruto!" Damn, it was him.  
"What do you want Konohamaru?" I gently pushed him away.  
"WE FOUND A NEW LEAD!" that one sentence sent adrenaline pumping through my system. I pushed past the younger male and almost ran into Kakashi. "IS IT TRUE?" I shouted, not caring who heard, Gaara meant everything to me. The silver haired man just passed a piece of paper over to me.

'You wanna see your precious redhead? Am I right? All that worrying for one man, I don't see the point, but never mind. Let's play a game, you win and I will set him free,'

That's all that was written on the paper. I began panicking, what was the game? What would happen if I said no? Desperation began settling into my bones making me shake. Kakashi spoke up, "Relax Naruto, this is what he wants you to do, he wants you to retaliate, to play 'the game' don't play into his hands, we'll monitor this for a little longer okay?" He walked off, taking the paper with him. How was I going to save Gaara? What was this game the person wanted to play? Could I win easily?  
I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted out my fury, getting more stressed with each passing second. "Naruto, go and get some fresh air," it was Iruka. I nodded and fled from the building. Why weren't they rushing around to save Gaara? I didnt get it, he was the most important person in the world. 'Only to you,' a small part of me answered. I looked down as I ran, not caring who I got in the way of. I turned into the alleyway where my boyfriend was kidnapped, where he was taken from me. I scanned the area again, there had to be something, anything... He couldn't have disappeared without a trace, it was impossible. I threw dull silver trashcans out of my way, snarling at the loud noise they made when they hit the cold, wet floor. I tore my way through rubbish, oblivious to the worried eyes that watched me. The soft sound of dripping water began irritating me as I searched. I launched a glass bottle at the broken pipe and shielded my face when it exploded. Damn it. Something fluttered above me and my head snapped up. A piece of paper. Before my brain could begin working, my hand snatched the paper.

'I knew you would be here. You want to play the game and save the redhead? Come to the police station at two in the morning. You get caught or bring company, ITS GAME OVER!'

Blood splattered the scrap of paper along with other dark fluids. Maybe ink? "Naruto?" A familiar voice called out. Sakura. I shoved the paper in my pocket and climbed out of the pile, wincing when my arm caught on a scrap of sharp metal. Damn. "Naruto! Idiot, let me see that," She shrieked and began probing the wound. I cringed slightly and followed her.

The day passed too slowly and I had to take regular breaks to get rid of the pent up frustration. "Right, its ten, aren't you going home Naruto?" Kakashi pulled out his perverted book and began reading.  
"No, I want to look further into this case, I'll lock up if you want," I tried my best to keep the smile on my face.  
"Knock yourself out kid," he threw the keys over to me and left the room quietly. How had it come to this, playing in the hands of the enemy? I didn't even know who the enemy was and I had fallen into his trap. I hated how low I had sunk, I hated how powerless I felt ... but I would do anything to get my Gaara back. He had changed my life; he gave me a reason to keep on living. He once said to me, that I had helped him love. I never really understood what he meant. I always thought that everyone could love without help. Even now I don't fully understand what he meant but, maybe, just maybe, one day, he could explain it to me.

I watched as the clock slowly ticked by, each sound echoed ten-fold in my brain. I was no longer frustrated; I was going to see him soon. A knock sounded at the door. My eyes briefly looked at the clock. It was time. I picked up the keys and walked up to the door, my hand hesitating slightly. I didn't have any enemies or haters so why would they kidnap Gaara? Was he hiding something from me? No! Gaara's always truthful, and I trust him. I opened the door and locked it behind me, no need to get in more trouble. When I turned around, I was met with darkness. A rough piece of cloth was placed over my eyes, restricting my sight. "Hey!"  
"I would be quiet if I was you, or little red won't be alive to see you." It was a cold harsh voice. Definitely male, but he sounded amused. I gritted my teeth and allowed myself to be pushed around.

When the blindfold was removed it took a while for my eyes to adjust. I didn't recognise the area. Boxes were piled up high and the windows were blacked out. The only light coming from a small fire in the centre of the giant room. It looked like a warehouse with the extremely high ceiling and concrete floor. My eyes swept over the shadowed people who stood around the fire. There were nine in total and the guy behind me, which made ten. I couldn't take all of them down and there didn't seem to be a door nearby. "We're going to play a little game, you survive and I will let you and little red go, you die then I guess so does he,"  
"Why are you doing this," I snarled, "Why did you take him?"  
"He was an easy target, and I really wanted some fun," his breath tickled my neck.  
"Where is he?" I could barely keep my voice under control, the rage and anger I felt was strong. I hated the man behind me, I hated him with such a burning emotion it shocked me. I rarely hated anyone; I disliked a few people but not hate. A pale hand pointed to a far corner. Gaara was tied up and probably gagged; the only light illuminating his bruised face came from a large green glow stick. He was shaking, was he cold? Was he in pain? "What did you do to him? You bastard!" I shouted.  
"Shhh, or else ..." the click of a gun made my blood run cold. He wasn't serious, was he? "Now we are going to play Russian roulette, a personal favourite of mine, there are eleven of us here, not including red over there, and there are eleven bullets, only one of us can survive," the man pushed me towards the circle and ordered me to stand somewhere before he threw the gun at someone. Well if that person was going to start ... "How many empty shots will there be before someone dies?" I asked shakily. I didn't want to die, because that would mean the death of Gaara too.  
"Five, on the sixth shot, bye bye," the man sounded slightly hyperactive, his voice getting higher near the end. I stood next to a male with half black and half white skin. His hair was green, probably dyed. On my other side the kidnapper winked. Everyone took a step forward and I saw their faces. They were all convicted criminals, ones that I had help bring in. The person with the gun was a woman called Konan, she smothered her victims in paper and was a well know prostitute. She was caught last year when she helped kill my father's old business partner, Jiraiya.

Next to her was a rather tall man with dark skin. Most of his face was covered up but I could recognise those piercing green eyes anywhere. He used to be a banker, but at night he would slaughter people for money, or bounty he would often called it. Kakashi and I took him down when he killed a school teacher, Asuma Sarutobi.

I didn't know the masked male very well. He was an idiot who was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was caught, but I knew the man next to him very well. Itachi Uchiha. The blue haired gunman who took Gaara as hostage two years ago, well this was his brother. He was notorious for killing his family and friends. Anyone who was even distantly related to the famous Uchiha name was killed, except for his brother, no-one really knows why not even his brother, Sasuke.

Stood next to Itachi was the man that had kidnapped my Gaara. Girlish features, blond side fringe, blue eyes, I resisted the urge to run over and beat the living crap out of the bastard. I recognised him as Deidara, a pyromaniac for hire. We caught him four years ago but he escaped. I should have hunted the evil bastard down the second he escaped. None of this would have happened if I had done that. Gaara wouldn't be suffering and would be safe.

Black metal glinted off the fire. Pein ... well, that's what the orange haired man called himself. He was a monster that collected dead bodies for the fun of things and the small male nearby was no better. Trying to make people into puppets by altering parts of their bodies. He was the other that kidnapped my beloved and I felt the same strong resentment towards him too. He was well respected, Sasori Akasuna, but he killed his grandmother, who was part of the city council. The respect washed away when that hit the press.

The half white, half black man next to me was a cannibal, Zetsu, I didn't know him well though and I didn't know the last person either. He had blue hair and blue skin. Maybe paint or tattoos?  
"Let's get this game going," the man who had kidnapped me was still in the shadows of the building, not allowing the light of the dull fire to touch him. I looked over at Gaara, who was crying loudly. "Oh shut up, for fucks sake before I end this game now," the stranger snarled loudly, obviously getting pissed off. Konan placed the gun at her temple and fired before passing the weapon over. The first to die was Pein; he had placed the gun at his temple and smiled when he had fired. Blood soaked the concrete as my heart pounded. This stranger meant business. "DON'T YOU CARE, HE WAS AN ACCOMPLICE!" I yelled.  
"I told you, this game was for fun, who cares if they die," he laughed in my ear. My right arm began quivering, I had to save Gaara. When Zetsu passed me the gun, I looked at my boyfriend, who had crawled up onto his knees, his eyes pleading in the low light. I had to do this, for you Gaara, you have to understand. I value your life too much. "Close your eyes, sometimes it helps...sometimes" the mysterious man chuckled. I pulled the trigger, biting my lip as the loud sound echoed in my head. I passed the silver object to the stranger who fired and chuckled before handing it over to the blue skinned male. The blue man passed it onto Konan. She had a serious face as she pointed and fired. More blood splattered over the floor. "Why?" I whispered. Yes, they were all criminals but no one actually had to die. I waited for my turn. Zetsu got the gun before arguing with himself. He came to some sort of an agreement and placed the gun at the roof of his mouth. The bullet exited his skull; a small smile graced his lips as the light disappeared from his yellow eyes. The stranger placed a bullet into my palm. I shakily picked up the gun and loaded it. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I fired again and passed it over. I had come so close to dying then, but I was going to survive for you, Gaara.

The masked male laughed manically before firing and passing it over to the silent Uchiha. He fired and dropped to the floor, the weapon bouncing off the floor before clattering to a halt. Deidara picked it up and caught the bullet that the stranger had thrown. He loaded the gun up and spun the barrel before firing. This game was twisted, every gunshot made me flinch. Not because of the death, but each empty shot that went off meant one bullet closer to me. Sasori threw the gun at me and a struggled to catch it. My hands slowly stopped shaking but I could hear the heart wrenching cries from the corner where Gaara knelt. I fired and passed it on, hating that the stranger could fire so carelessly, didn't he care that he could die. No, he had set this game up, maybe he wants to embrace death or maybe he knows what's going to happen?

The next person to drop was Kakuzu who made no noise whatsoever, just the almost non-existent thud of his body connecting with the concrete floor. 5 puddles of blood painted the floor. The stranger threw another bullet and the masked man caught it. "YEY! TOBI GETS TO LOAD THE GUN!" he spun the barrel and shot. His laughter filled the room as he threw it over to Deidara. I caught the gun on my turn and fired, I was powerless, maybe when there was only two or three left I could run and escape, but I found no door. "Blondie, there is no escape from here, don't even try," the stranger's breath was hot on my neck as he fired at his own head. My breath caught in my throat, if it was his turn to die, the bullet would have killed both of us. He carelessly tossed the weapon over and I heard the all too familiar thud. That was close.

Gaara was still on his knee's trying his best to break free of the thick rope that was wrapped around his thin frame, I could see that he was trying, but it was no use. I almost cried out in rage and confusion, why me? Why Gaara? Was it really for fun, or was it because he had something against me? Tobi loaded up the gun and the weapon took its almost ritual journey around the sparse circle. If Kakashi found out, would I be classed as a murderer or innocent? Sasori passed the gun and I fired and breathed a sigh of relief. Tobi's maniacal laughter ended with a sickening thud, blood pumping out of the small hole in his head, his arms spread wide as death consumed him. Deidara loaded up the gun again and began passing the evil thing around. The game was almost over, only four of us stood, alive. My chances were slimming and so were my boyfriend's, but I had to try, yes?

Sasori placed the gun in between his eyes, murmuring an almost silent good bye. Deidara's blue eyes widened as he screamed. The gun fired and Deidara dropped to his knee's "NO DANNA! DON'T LEAVE ME!" tears flooded out of the once passive eyes. Only then did I realise, everyone here had family, friends...loved ones. So many here never got to say goodbye, Deidara was an example. His thin frame began shaking erratically. "DEIDARA GET YOUR ASS UP!" the stranger barked. The blond shook his head. I walked over to the dead body and picked up the gun. I then loaded it with the bullet the shadowed male threw. Spinning the barrel I saw the tears that were falling from Deidara's and Gaara's eyes, they were the same. Neither wanted their other half to die, but I had to, maybe I could keep firing at the stranger, I'm sure the blond wouldn't mind, but I had one in six chances of hitting him. Did he have another gun with him, if he did then it would probably be fully loaded and Gaara would die? I snarled and fired. "You were thinking of killing me? Am I right?" I hated the laughter that echoed in his voice. I threw the silver loaded object over to him. Deidara grabbed the gun; he knew it was his last shot. "Finally, I will be with you, my Sasori, please don't be angry with me for making you wait," he mumbled and fired at his chest.

Blood shot out of his back as he died with tears fresh on his cheeks and a smile on his lips. There were only two left. I walked over to the object I hated so much and caught the bullet. This was my last chance; I fired at my throat and threw the gun over. He stepped out of the darkness and he fired. Sterling silver hair was gelled down apart from one bit, which hung lazily in front of his magenta eyes. "Hidan," I growled. I should have known. The man who enjoyed toying with his prey, the one who enjoyed making others suffer. "You know me eh? Thank Jashin, YOU RUINED MY FUN! You destroyed my last game... so I thought I would teach you a lesson," his high pitched laughter sent ice down my bones, chilling me to the core. He threw the gun lazily over to me and I fumbled slightly before firing, keeping my eyes trained on Gaara. Hidan caught the gun and positioned it at his temple. I hoped this was the last bullet. Before I could move, he trained the gun on me and fired. Pain erupted from my chest as my hands immediately flew over to cover the wound. My pained cry echoed around the room along with the gun shot. "You ... cheated..." I panted before I collapsed, my cheek pressed against the stone. "I never lose Blondie, ever," he laughed and loaded up the gun. My vision was getting hazy and everything turned black and white. One ... Gaara dropped to the floor, he hadn't been shot but he had removed the tape. "NARUTO!" he screamed, tears flowing down his porcelain cheeks. But his voice sounded like a soft whisper. The kind of whisper he used when it was snowing and both were huddled up near the fire. Fire? Warmth? There was no more warmth in my body, I felt cold and heavy. Gaara why are you crying ... nothing bad has happened yet. Two ... His voice was louder, begging me to stand up, to survive. I had won the game but had lost everything else. Three ... I saw red ... No more black and white, just dark shades of red. My heart thumped sluggishly against my hand as I saw my lovers' ... no, my soul mate's eyes lose their natural light. Gaara ... no ... oh no...oh God please no... I pushed myself up with one arm and got to my feet shakily. My breathing came in rough gasps. Blood gushed out of his temple, streaking the perfect face. Hidan had fired at point blank range. Rage boiled my blood as it flowed out of my chest. I ran over to the murderer, knocking him over. He was just as surprised as I was but I threw my fist at his face, hoping to kill him but my strength was fading. I couldn't give up ... but life without Gaara ... is a life not worth living. Hidan's hands settled on either side of my head. A sharp pain shot down my neck and then ... nothing...

Kakashi and Iruka burst in ten minutes later. Many people had reported hearing lots of gun shots. The whole police force filed into the room but none were prepared for the scene before them. Iruka pushed past everyone and ran over to the blond male that was like a son to him. "Naruto, Naruto!" he shouted, shaking the lifeless body, his head lolled limply. Tears freely flowed down the police officers face. No ... he was gone. Kakashi placed a hand on the distressed man's shoulder. "He's gone, I'm sorry," he spoke quietly through his mask and gently probed the young male's neck. "It seems like his neck was broken ... I'm guessing that's what killed him," the silver haired man walked over to Gaara and picked up the light body. The brunette hugged the blonde's body tightly, screaming out in pain. How could he have died? Blood soaked his uniform but nothing was registering within him. After several minutes one of the police officers shouted for their attention. Iruka looked up, tears blurring his vision.

'What a fun game ... maybe next time boys!'

That was what was written on the wall in blood. The message had not dried so the murderer hadn't left long ago. Kakashi growled and ordered men around to clear away the bodies. The brunette picked up Naruto's body, snarling at anyone who got too close. "And ... Gaara," he hiccupped slightly. "Dead too."

Several days later lots of people gathered round two graves set side by side. Two delicately engraved stones marked the place where the two young lovers had been laid to rest. Konohamaru cried, not stopping until his eyes were red raw and only hiccups showed his sadness. It truly was a sad day. Even the sky was crying.

Naruto closed the white book that lay in front of him; gold writing slowly began forming on the book. Naruto Uzumaki. His hand lay upon the leather cover. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked up to his lover. "You dont have to worry now, Naru," a redhead whispered to him, gently placing his ivory hand on the blonde's tan cheek. He covered up that hand with his own. "Thank you, Gaara," he smiled and brought their lips together as his snow white wings surrounded them, blocking out everything that could harm them. It was raining on earth and Naruto finally understood.


End file.
